How to Keep an Apple from Browning

By Ann Fulton

Do your kids turn up their noses to a lunch box apple that's been sliced in the morning and becomes brown by lunchtime? Here's a great tip to keep those pre-sliced apples crisp and bright!
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Do your kids turn up their noses to a lunch box apple that’s been sliced in the morning and becomes brown by lunchtime? Here’s a great tip to keep those pre-sliced apples crisp and bright!

 

If you or someone in your family doesn’t like biting into a whole apple (for preference or maybe even braces), slicing it is the way to go. But after only a few minutes, the pieces can turn brown. Why?

The science behind it
When oxygen is introduced to the apple flesh, a cascading reaction triggers enzymes which oxidize polyphenols and eventual react with amino acids to make a brown-colored pigment. It is harmless but can be visually unappealing. 

So how can you prevent a cut apple from browning?
Some say lemon juice does the trick, but it may alter the taste. Others say a water and honey bath is their go-to, but that seems messy and will also change the taste.

The backstory:
I thought of this solution after my older son, in grade school at the time, told me that one of his friends threw out her apples every day. When I asked why, he said that her mom brushed them with lemon juice to keep them from browning and she thought that made them taste funny.  

I suggested he could tell his friend to let her mom know, so the apples weren’t perpetually wasted. In the days, weeks, and years since, I cut many apples this way for my kids’ lunch boxes, and they thought it was a fun way to “unwrap” the apple. 

 

Following is a quick video demonstration of what you do:

 

 

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The best apple hack, which is quick, fun, and won’t alter the taste:

  1. Simply cut straight down along the core on all four sides.
  2. Put the apple back together around the core.
  3. Wrap it in plastic wrap or secure with a snug-fitting rubber band.
  4. No more brown spots, no more wasted apple slices!
Do your kids turn up their noses to a lunch box apple that's been sliced in the morning and becomes brown by lunchtime? Here's a great tip to keep those pre-sliced apples crisp and bright!

Simply cut straight down along the core on all four sides. Then put the apple back together around the core. You can wrap it, or use a rubber band!

🍎 Do you have a tip or trick you use to prevent apple slices from browning? If so, please share in the comments section below!

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